Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi has expressed fear that Islamic State terrorists will flee to Egypt as the caliphate continues to crumble at the hands of the U.S.-led coalition in Syria and Iraq.
Speaking at a youth conference in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, Sisi said that Egypt was in need of military equipment to prevent an influx of militants from unstable “neighboring countries” such as Libya, widely touted as a launchpad for the Islamic State’s resurgence following the group’s territorial losses in both Raqqa and Mosul.
“As the elimination of terrorists progresses in Syria and Iraq, those elements will move and resort to other regions with poor [security] conditions,” Sisi said. “There are already extremist militias moving into neighboring countries and Europe.”
“We must have the military capabilities that compensate for that imbalance in the region and to counter terrorism,” he continued.
Sisi’s comments also came hours after Bashar al-Assad’s Syrian government forces announced that they had retaken al-Bukamal from the Islamic State.
Egypt has already become a hotbed for Islamic State terrorism in its Northern Sinai region, with Sisi declaring a three-month state of emergency in Egypt following twin church bombings that killed dozens of people.
Since 2014, the Egyptian government has spent over ten billion dollars on improving its military strength, including French-made Rafale fighter jets and helicopter carriers, MiG-29 fighter jets, assault helicopters from Russia, and submarines from Germany. Egypt currently receives $1.3 billion in annual U.S. aid. READ MORE
